Pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi to take 'hard look at himself' as he apologizes for forcibly kissing teen

Apr 27, 2018 | News On Japan

Apr 27, 2018 (Japan Times) - Teary-eyed and his voice shaking, pop star Tatsuya Yamaguchi apologized Thursday for kissing and engaging in indecent behavior with a high school-aged girl in a career-crushing scandal leading to his indefinite suspension from show business.

â€œI will spend my days taking a hard look at myself and praying that the victim, her family and her friend can someday be at peace and return to their lives before this took place,â€ said Yamaguchi, the bassist for the popular all-male idol group Tokio, during a hastily arranged news conference at a hotel in Tokyo.

News broke Wednesday that Yamaguchi, 46, had been referred to prosecutors for allegedly kissing the girl against her will at his home in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in February.

A lawyer representing Johnny & Associates, the powerful talent agency that manages Tokio, told a packed room of journalists that Yamaguchi will be indefinitely suspended from activities.

Wearing a dark suit and black tie, a visibly distressed Yamaguchi and the lawyer described the lead-up to the night of Feb. 12 when a drunken Yamaguchi called the girl and her friend, both minors, to his home.

They didnâ€™t, however, elaborate on the details of the interaction, citing an ongoing investigation. Alcohol appeared to have played a prominent role in the incident.

The lawyer said the matter has been settled privately and that the girl has already withdrawn the complaint she had filed with the police.

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to indict Yamaguchi, but the chances he will face charges could be significantly reduced with the withdrawal of the complaint despite a revision to the Penal Code last year which lets prosecutors charge a suspect of an indecent assault even without a complainant.

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